


Courting the Darkness

by Inyri



Series: The Savior Queen [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dark Emma Swan, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-08
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-05-04 23:51:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5353010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inyri/pseuds/Inyri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome back! I'm so excited by your enthusiasm for The Tower and I can't wait to continue this story with you all. It's definitely not over yet. </p><p>As with The Tower, I won't be staying true to canon. I really don't like what they're doing with Dark Emma, so I'm going to write my own version. Hope you enjoy! Please comment along the way and let me know what you think. :) </p><p>Viva la Swan Queen!</p></blockquote>





	1. Emma Swan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! I'm so excited by your enthusiasm for The Tower and I can't wait to continue this story with you all. It's definitely not over yet. 
> 
> As with The Tower, I won't be staying true to canon. I really don't like what they're doing with Dark Emma, so I'm going to write my own version. Hope you enjoy! Please comment along the way and let me know what you think. :) 
> 
> Viva la Swan Queen!

Regina watched helplessly as the darkness closed in on itself, leaving behind the sole clang of metal as the Dark One’s dagger fell to the asphalt. A hurried monologue of regret clouded Regina’s thoughts as she raced toward the place where Emma had just been.

“Where has she gone?” Snow asked, a sort of desperation coloring her voice. Regina stared down at the dagger, kneeling slowly.

“I have no idea,” she answered, unable to ignore the sadness in her own tone. She reached out and took the dagger, hesitating briefly. She knew what name would be inscribed on the blade, but she didn’t want to see it. She didn’t want it to be real. But she couldn’t hesitate forever.

She turned the blade over.

**Emma Swan**

Dread clenched tight in Regina’s chest, stopping her breath for the briefest moment. Emma Swan, the Savior of Storybrooke and Henry’s White Knight and possessor of the most powerful light magic, had become the Dark One. And she’d only done it to save Regina. The irony seemed too much to bear.

The first shouting thought to take hold of Regina’s mind was: _Why must I always lose the ones I love?_

Regina stood and held out the dagger purposefully, taking a breath. Part of her couldn’t get Emma back fast enough, but another part froze with fear at the thought of what Emma might be.

Swallowing down her trepidation, she commanded, “Emma Swan, I summon you.”

They all waited in baited silence, but no one appeared. Regina tried again.

“Emma Swan, I command you to appear.”

Regina’s heart fell when, once again, nothing happened.

“Why isn’t it working?” Snow asked, stepping to Regina’s side.

“Because she’s not in this realm,” Regina answered, the iteration of the fact cutting like a knife to her heart.

“But we’ll find her,” Charming said and Regina frowned at his optimism. Anger boiled up in her, racing hot through her veins.

Regina turned, toting the dagger with a white-knuckled grip, and marched over to where Belle kneeled beside the fallen Gold.

“This is _your_ fault,” Regina hissed, pointing the dagger at the prostrate man. Belle stood at the aggressive move, her shoulders broad and her stance strong.

“If you’re going to blame anyone, blame me,” she said.

“Fine,” Regina replied, her voice tightening as her anger continued to build. “This is your fault and you’re going to help me get Emma back.”

“Of course I will,” Belle answered and Regina sneered at her placating tone. She knew the bookworm was her best ally, but she didn’t have to like it.

“We’re starting immediately,” Regina said icily. “I refuse to leave Emma wherever she is for a minute longer than is absolutely necessary.”

“Understood,” Belle said with a nod. Then, taking a step forward, she said, “Regina, we’ll figure this out.”

Regina pulled away from the gesture of compassion.

“My place with your books in thirty minutes,” she said instead. In her periphery, she saw Henry starting toward her, so she turned on her heel and poofed away from everyone to the safety of her mansion.

She transported herself directly to her bedroom. She slipped off her heels with practiced ease before carefully lying the Dark One’s dagger on her dresser. She took a moment to stare down at the ornate metal, her gaze running over and over the inscription.

**Emma Swan**

It seemed unreal, like a dream. Maybe if she tried hard enough, she could wake up…

She felt her anger melting into sadness.

She tried to stem the flood of tears, but they quickly got the better of her. She crumpled to the ground, tears hot and insistent on her cheeks as loss pulled at her heart.

“Dammit, Emma,” she choked out. It felt as though an invisible hand had reached into her chest and was mercilessly squeezing her heart. She wondered, distractedly, if this was what her victims felt. She knew her own heart wouldn’t turn to dust, but the pressure was enough on its own.

The sound of insistent knocking pulled her from her wallowing.

“That bookworm has a strong arm,” Regina muttered to herself. She stood and moved to the mirror to check the state of her face. Once she was satisfied, she put her heels back on and headed down to her front door.

 The knocking continued the entire time, growing more desperate as time went on. Regina shook her head in slight consternation at the eagerness of the knocking.

“Regina?” an all-too-familiar voice called through the door. Regina stopped in her path.

“Snow?” she called back.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re in there,” Snow answered. Regina rolled her eyes and continued to the door, pulling it open impatiently.

“What do you want?” she snarled, glaring at the woman waiting on her porch.

“I have something that can help you get to Emma,” Snow answered with a smile. Regina’s breath caught mid-way, but she tried to cover up her shock and dampen her hope with a carefully raised eyebrow.

“Oh?”

Snow reached into her overly large jacket pocket and pulled out a small object. She held it out in her palm for Regina to see.

Regina stared down at the small miracle in Snow’s hand, not even attempting to hide her surprise this time. It was a small, translucent bean.

“Where did you get that?” Regina asked, her voice just barely making it past her tight throat. She felt tears starting in her eyes and forcefully held them at bay.

“Ruby found two in the remains of Tiny’s field,” Snow explained, her expression glowing with joy. It was strange to think that not too long ago, this same woman had been attempting to kill her. Snow continued, “She used one to go back to the Enchanted Forest and she gave the other to me. Now all we need to do is figure out where Emma is…”

“And I can go get her,” Regina finished with a nod of her head. A wave of immense gratitude welled up in Regina and she shook her head to dispel the too-strong emotion. Instead, she kept her voice dead-pan as she said, “Thank you.”

Snow held out the small bean toward Regina, who gingerly plucked it from the woman’s palm. The bean felt small and smooth between her fingers. She couldn’t keep the smile from her face as she turned it over and over.

“I knew we’d need it sooner or later,” Snow said.

Regina’s hope deflated a bit when another thought hit her.

“There is one problem,” Regina said. Snow looked at Regina like the world was crashing down and she had no idea why. Regina laid it out: “If we only have one bean, there’s no way to get back.”

“We’ll find a way,” Snow said almost automatically and Regina rolled her eyes at the blind hope.

“You know, I never question why you ended up with Prince Optimism.”  

“Regina, I’m serious. We will find a way to get you both back here. In the meantime, you can figure out where Emma is. It’ll all work out.”

Regina let out a sigh, closing her fist around the magic bean. So close and yet so far…

“Well, I’d better leave and let you get to it,” Snow said, breaking the silence. “Belle should be here any minute.”  Regina nodded and Snow turned to leave.

Something struck at Regina’s heart, causing her to call out, “Snow, wait.” Snow turned back to her. “Thank you.”

Snow smiled, holding Regina’s gaze for a moment.

“Bring my daughter back.”

The moment of weakness dried up, leaving Regina feeling immensely determined.

“I will,” she replied. “I promise.”

 


	2. The Dark One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the wait! Honestly, I've started work on original stuff that I'm pretty serious about, so I haven't had much time for fanfiction. But I'm not going to abandon this story, so don't worry. :)
> 
> Just a comment: I mention David Bowie in this chapter. I'd written that part over a month ago and now I know, with his unfortunate and unexpected passing, that might be upsetting for some people. I truly love Bowie and his work; he will be deeply missed. So please consider the mention an homage to him.
> 
> A reminder: I'm continuing this story from the canon that I've created/imposed in The Tower. I will not be following the canon of OUAT 5a.

Emma woke with a pounding headache and the overwhelming feeling that something was dead _wrong_.

She rolled from her back onto her side, jagged rock pressing into her ribs and a pervasive cold biting at her skin.

“Hell,” she groaned, forcing open her heavy-lidded eyes.

Emma found herself in a castle. Specifically in the room where she’d fought Cora for the remains of the wardrobe that had brought her baby self to Storybrooke in the first place. In a flash, she realized that she was back in the Enchanted Forest. She groaned for the second time in as many minutes and stood up, dusting debris from the long, white cloak she wore.

“Where the hell did _this_ come from?” she asked, pulling at the strange, weighty material she found herself clothed in. _Apparently becoming the Dark One includes a make-over_ , she thought. She quickly pushed up her sleeves, expecting to see sparkles or scales. Much to her relief, her skin was only slightly paler than usual. Otherwise, it had remained completely normal.  Then, she lifted her fingers to her hair and found it slightly sticky.

“Seriously?” she complained. “I become the Dark One and my prize is a scalp condition?” She huffed in annoyance and closed her eyes for a moment to get her bearings.

“Alright,” she continued to think aloud. “I’m in the Enchanted Forest in my parents’ castle.” She looked around at the messy room. “Now what?”

She kicked a bit of the ceiling that had fallen in, trying to remember everything she’d learned about crossing realms. How could she get back to Storybrooke? How could she get back to Henry? To Regina?

She clenched her fists, summoning flames like Regina had taught her. The flames jumped higher than she expected and she extinguished them in surprise. Magic had never come so easily before. Now that she’d ignited it, she could feel it running hot and fast through her entire body.

Possibilities ran through her head. Could she use this magic to get back home? If she couldn’t, what was the use of having it anyway?

Feeling a bit cramped, Emma transported herself outside the castle. The woods stretched out on one side of her while an open field ran along her other. She ambled along the tree line and grumbled to herself, feeling frustrated and more than a little lost.  

The afternoon light felt too bright, so she wandered further into the shadow of the trees. She had not missed the cool dampness of the wildlife or how she never felt quite clean in the Enchanted Forest. She pulled her huge hood around her, trying to shut it all out. Instead, she focused on Regina and how her eyes lit up when she smiled.

Suddenly, she heard movement in the not-too-distant foliage and she froze.

“Whoever’s there, you really don’t want to mess with me,” she called.

She heard the movement again and she conjured a fireball in one hand.

“I’m serious,” she said, “you really do _not_ want to do this.”

A huge, grey wolf jumped out of the underbrush, landing right in front of Emma. The moment its paws hit the ground, it started to change shape.

“Big, bad Emma,” Ruby said once she had a human mouth again, nonchalantly throwing her long, dark hair over her shoulder. “What the hell are _you_ doing here?”

“Rubes!” Emma said, extinguishing her flame and engulfing her friend in a hug. “What are _you_ doing here?” Ruby rubbed her chin on Emma’s shoulder.

“I’ve been here for a while now,” she answered. “You’ve just been too busy to notice.”

“Sorry,” Emma muttered, pulling out of the hug. Ruby took the opportunity to look her up and down, frowning slightly.

“What’s with the hair?” she asked, picking up a limp lock between her fingers. “And your voice – it sounds different. I mean, you know I’ll accept you no matter what Bowie phase you’re going through, but I’d like an explanation.”

Emma looked away, wondering how she could tell the werewolf everything that had happened. When she hesitated, Ruby pressed, “Em, what is it?”

Emma slowly raised her gaze to meet Ruby’s, her last moments fighting for Regina’s soul flashing across her mind’s eye.

“I’m the Dark One now.”

Emma watched Ruby carefully. The girl’s eyes grew wide and her jaw fell open slightly. She looked Emma over again.

“How?” she asked finally.

“Long story,” Emma replied. “But basically, it was Regina or me, so I chose me.”

“You did this for Regina,” Ruby said immediately, gesturing to Emma’s get-up. Emma nodded and realized she should have expected Ruby’s usual astuteness. Ruby hadn’t even framed it as a question; she just _knew_. And she hadn’t even been there for the whole True-Love’s-Kiss-Breaking-the-Curse thing. Which, on second thought, her mother _had_ been. She wondered how she was handling all that back in Storybrooke…

Ruby smiled at her and Emma realized that she’d been staring off into space for too long.

“How’s that going?” she asked.

“How is what going?” Emma replied.

“You and Regina. God, I always knew it would happen. It was just a matter of time. And you guys must be so hot togeth—“

“We don’t have time for this,” Emma interrupted. “I have to figure out how to get back to Storybrooke. I don’t even know why I’m here right now.”

“Maybe becoming _the Dark One_ might be part of it,” Ruby answered. Emma grabbed Ruby’s arm.

“I need your help, not your attitude.”

“Fine,” Ruby said. “All I know is that I got here by magic bean and I left one with Snow. So, someone will probably come looking for you before you can even find a way back. And knowing Regina, and your entire family actually, someone will most likely get here pretty soon and I bet they’ll have a plan worked out to get you back to Storybrooke. But first, let’s get somewhere that’s not the middle of the woods. Then, we can worry about everything else.”

“Alright,” Emma conceded, starting off in the general direction away from her parents’ castle.

“Do you even know where you’re going?” Ruby asked, falling into step beside her.

“What do you think?”

“Now who’s the one with the attitude?”

Emma groaned in annoyance.

“If you don’t mind,” Ruby continued, “I’ll lead the way.”

“Be my guest,” Emma answered, already too tired to argue.

“And while we walk,” Ruby said, looping her arm through Emma’s, “we can talk about you and Regina.”

“How about we don’t,” Emma suggested.  Ruby gave her a look.

“Do you or do you not want a bed, a bath, and food?” Emma groaned.

“Fine,” she said. “What do you want to know? But, to warn you, there isn’t much to tell.”

“I want to hear how you finally won Regina over,” Ruby answered. “And start from the beginning.”

“Very well,” Emma said, sighing in defeat. “It all started when we were forced into an alternate timeline…”


	3. The Birthplace of Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you haven't forgotten this story! I've been away from these two for too long. I was starting to miss them. :)

Regina paced her foyer, waiting for the bookworm. She imagined Belle giving Rumple some long, undeserved farewell and felt the resulting anger creeping up into her shoulders. She really wished that foolish imp had just died along with the Dark One. Now, instead, the horrible spirit was a part of Emma and that stupid peasant was still wreaking havoc.

Someone knocked and Regina all but raced to answer the door. She put on her apathetic mask as usual, but her insides raced with anxiety. 

"Hi, Regina," came the girl's heavily-accented voice once the door was open. Regina stared down at Belle's empty arms.

"Excuse me," Regina began, "but I seem to remember that the arrangement was for you to bring research materials so that we can find Emma. Unless your books are invisible, I don't think you've followed through on that request."

"It's because I don't need any books," Belle answered with a smile. "I've already found our answer." 

Hope and disbelief fought for dominance in Regina's chest. 

"Oh?" Regina said, raising an eyebrow at the shorter woman. 

"Can I just come in?" Belle asked. "It would be easier to explain." 

Regina wanted to seem hesitant, but her desire to find Emma was too strong to even feign indifference. Instead, she gave her patent eye-roll and stepped aside so Belle could get through the door.

"This will be quick," Belle promised.

"Better be," Regina quipped.

Belle started her explanation immediately, "I spoke with Rumple and--" 

"Stop right there," Regina said, putting up a hand and feeling her hope deflate. "You're going on the imp's word on this?" 

"I don't need to remind you that he was a Dark One," Belle said, her brows furrowed in annoyance. Regina looked away, already finished with this girl's ever-present sass. "He knows how these things work. He's more reliable than digging through some old books written by people we don't know." 

"I don't know that he's more reliable than anything," Regina answered darkly.

"I trust him on this," Belle insisted.

"Good for you."

Belle paced for a few steps and then sighed, turning back to Regina.

"Do you want to help Emma or not?" she asked. 

Regina took a step toward Belle, unwilling to seem weak even now.

"Fine," she said. "What did the imp say?"

Belle shook her head, as though she'd expected everything. 

"He just said that the birthplace of darkness is the birthplace of light. He said that Emma will go back to the place where she was first born, which means--"

"The Enchanted Forest," Regina interrupted, her gaze far away. 

"Precisely," Belle confirmed. "Do you have any idea how to get there?"

"The trouble is getting back," Regina whispered. 

"Well," Belle said, obviously fed up with Regina's reluctance toward cooperation, "I've said what I've come to say. If you would like me to help Emma, just let me know. Otherwise, I'll be going."

Regina just nodded, still wrapped up in thought. Belle turned to go. Just as she reached the door, Regina stopped her with two words.

"Thank you." 

Belle stood there a moment, appreciating the gesture, and then she answered, "You're welcome, Regina. We all deserve True Love."

Regina looked away as Belle left, shutting the door behind her. Once Regina heard the click of the door, she let her stance crumple.

Tears felt close and frustration even closer. Part of her just wanted to whisk off to the Enchanted Forest and find a way back once she got there. But that meant leaving Henry for an unknown amount of time. How could she leave her son with the two idiots? And right after he'd lost one mother? 

Regina cursed everything she could think of, pacing the foyer and itching to set something on fire. If only she had a surefire way to get back to Storybrooke...

There was another knock on the door and Regina let out an angry huff of air.

"Yes?" she barked. 

"Mom?" The door opened slightly and Henry poked his head through. Regina let out a sigh of relief.

"Sorry, Henry."

"It's okay," he said, coming into the foyer and closing the door behind him. "Have you found a way to save Emma?" 

"Almost," Regina answered. "I know she's in the Enchanted Forest and your _benevolent_ grandmother gave me a magic bean to get there. I just have to figure out how to get back." 

"That's great!" Henry said. "The Enchanted Forest is full of magic, right? It shouldn't be too hard." 

Regina gave her son a sad smile. She admired his optimism, but she doubted it could solve their problem. She took a step closer to him, laying a hand on his cheek and looking him right in the eye. 

"I know, dear," she said sadly, "but crossing realms is difficult. I don't need to remind you that I cast the curse to get here."

"Yes, but we've found ways around it before," he reminded her. "People are always finding new ways to cross. You and Emma working together should be able to get home." 

She had to admit: crossing realms had grown steadily easier since the curse. 

"Henry, I can't leave without a plan to return."

"But what about Emma?" he said. He had that desperate, high-pitched tone to his voice now and Regina felt it tug at her heart. "Who knows what becoming the Dark One does to you. She could be in real trouble right now. She could be fighting all kinds of things or even her own dark magic. She needs you. You're the only one who can help her fight it." 

Regina shook her head, tamping down her own instinct to take Henry's advice and just transport to the Enchanted Forest that moment. Worry wracked her ribs, making her heart race fast in her chest. She knew too well the allure of dark magic-- its power and its destruction. She couldn't imagine what someone with power like Emma could do, what they would have to face...

"Mom?" Henry's voice broke into her thoughts. 

"I'm trying to work this out," she said as way of explanation. "You're right that I need to get there as soon as I can. But I can't just leave you here without a plan to return."

"You can't worry about me," Henry said, standing tall in his noble way. "Besides, I have Grandma and Grandpa to take care of me. I'll be fine."

Regina planted her hands on her hips, unhappy with the idea.

"I know how you feel about them," Henry added, as though he could read her thoughts, "but they're family, after all. And you and Ma will be back before I know it. Everything will be fine." 

Regina looked away from her son, unwilling to admit that she agreed with him. He looked right at her, laying a hand on her arm.

"I'll be fine," he said again. "You should go. Emma needs you more than I do."

Regina nodded slowly and turned back to Henry to find him with tears on his cheeks.  

"Please, Mom," he said softly. "Use the bean. Go and save her. Bring Ma back." 

Regina opened her mouth to protest, but she quickly realized that she couldn't say no to him. Deep down, she knew he was right. Emma had saved her. Now it was time she returned the favor. She had all the permission she needed to leave Storybrooke.

"Okay," Regina said softly. 

Henry smiled through his tears and then threw his arms around his mother. Regina couldn't help but notice how big he'd gotten recently. 

She returned the embrace, leaving a gentle kiss on his head. 

"Be good for those two idiots, okay?" she said. 

"I will," he promised. "Just make sure you and Ma get back as soon as you can."

"We will," Regina said. "We will." 

 


	4. Darkness Rising

Emma sat in Ruby's bath, scrubbing furiously at her limp hair. 

"Hey, Ruby!" Emma she shouted. "You got any decent shampoo in this log cabin?" 

The girl poked her head into the washroom, her face indignant. 

"I'm Red here," she reminded Emma. "And sure, I"ll just run to a drug store and pick up some."

"Sue me," Emma muttered. "I just can't get this damn Dark One oil out of my hair."

"Here, let me try," Red said, sitting on a stool by the tub and putting out her hand for the bar of soap. Emma handed it to her and let out a huff of frustration. Red started to scrub at Emma's hair.

"So, what are you doing here anyway?" Emma asked. "I missed you when you left."

"I'm glad someone did," Red said. "I mean, someone beside Granny and Snow."

Emma nodded and Red gently boxed the side of her head.

"Stop moving," she instructed.

"So, why did you come?" Emma repeated.

Red didn't answer right away. Emma let her hesitate, focusing instead on the feel of Red's fingers working at her scalp.

"A few reasons," Red said finally, "but mostly I felt out of place. The person I liked had someone else, I was without anyone else of my kind, and I didn't have any real purpose in Storybrooke. I felt like it was time to move on -- to find something new."

"I understand that," Emma said.

"Do you, dearie?"

Emma's head whipped around at the familiar yet unexpected voice.

"Rumple?" Emma asked, half-rising out of the tub and looking around the room for the former Dark One. 

"Em?" Red said. "Is everything alright?" 

"Did you just hear that?" Emma asked. 

"Hear what?" Red asked.

"She can't," Rumple's voice said. Emma looked around again, her heart starting to race in her chest.

"There it was again," Emma said. "I heard Rumplestiltskin's voice."

"That creep is back in Storybrooke," Red assured her, worry pulling her brows together. "Emma, are you sure you're okay?"

Emma settled back into the water slowly, listening hard. 

"Any luck with my hair?" she asked Red instead of answering the question. 

Red paused and Emma wondered if the woman would call her out on her aversion. 

"No luck," Red answered and Emma let out a rush of air that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. 

"Thanks anyway," Emma said. "I guess I'm just cursed by being the Dark One with notoriously awful hair." 

"It could be worse," Red commented. "You could look like Rumple." 

"How insulting!" Rumple said and this time Emma saw him. He stood at Emma's side, his mouth open and his hand to his chest as though he was deeply offended. 

Emma looked up at him, eyes wide with surprise and a sliver of terror. 

"Emma?" Red said. "Emma? You're definitely not okay."

"Do you see him?" Emma asked, her voice brittle. 

"See who?" Red asked. 

Emma's heart fell with a thud. She retaliated with anger.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked the figment of Rumple, standing from the bath and turning toward him with fists clenched. 

"My, my," he said in his high-pitched voice, "how indecent!" 

"Emma?" Red's voice filtered through Emma's clouded thoughts. 

"Listen, you perv," Emma started, pointing a finger at Rumple's chest, "leave me alone, okay? I don't need you on top of everything else I'm dealing with right now. So, unless you want to help me get back to Storybrooke, just leave." 

"I'd love to leave, dearie," he answered, "believe me. But I can't. See, I'm all in your head."

Then he let out one of his grating giggles and Emma's fists only clenched tighter. 

"Listen," Emma said, "if what you say is true, then I could get rid of you myself. But obviously I can't. So just leave me the hell alone." 

"Emma, who are you talking to?" Red asked. 

"I'm not sure," Emma answered her. "He looks like Rumplestiltskin, but he says he's only in my head." 

"Maybe this is a Dark One thing?" Red said. Emma looked at her, grateful that the wolf was used to strange things instead of questioning them. 

"Whatever it is, it's downright annoying," Emma said. Then, to Rumple she said, "Leave me alone." 

"As you wish," he said, disappearing with a twirl of his hand. Then his voice, disembodied and smug, added, "But you might need me soon enough."

"I doubt that," Emma shouted at the empty air. 

Red watched Emma as she slowly looked around the room before lowering herself back into the lukewarm water. 

"What was that all about?" Red asked. 

Emma shook her head. "I'm not really sure." 

Red just kept watching Emma, an expression of worry on her face. Emma ignored the look, trying to focus on the strange thing that had just happened instead. She knew that it couldn't have actually been Rumplestiltskin since, like Red said, he was back in Storybrooke and without his Dark One status. But had it been in her mind? Or was it some strange manifestation of the Dark One spirit, haunting each Dark One until they snapped? That would explain a couple things about Rumple...

"Emma?" Red's voice broke into her thoughts. "Did you want to borrow some of my clothes?"

"I'm alright with the ones I have," Emma said. "Even if they are kind of weird. Thanks, though." 

"Of course," Red said, leaving Emma to her thoughts. "Just let me know if you need anything." 

The rest of the evening passed without anything else strange occurring. Emma enjoyed catching up with Red, listening to the wolf's stories about her adventures with Mulan. But things didn't stay normal. Just as Emma was drifting off to sleep, a sinister chill jolted her awake. 

"What the hell!?" Emma shouted into the quiet night.

"Emma?" Red asked, her eyes only half-open. Emma tried to slow her heart rate back down, sorry she'd awoken her bed partner. 

"It's nothing," Emma answered, lying back down. "Just go back to sleep." 

But when Emma closed her eyes, the chill came again. It raced like a scorpion up her back, leaving a prickling wake of sharp pain. Emma gritted her teeth against it, trying not to make a sound and wake Red. 

When the chill came a third time, she couldn't take it anymore. She stealthily slipped out of bed and into the darkness of the forest. 

"Rumple, is this your doing?" she whispered into the night. "Cause if so, you can knock it off. It's not funny." 

"Oh, that wasn't me, dearie," a voice answered. Emma whirled around, lighting up a fireball and looking for the former Dark One. 

"If it wasn't you, then what was it?" Emma asked, the fire in her palm flaring upward for a second as her anger flashed. 

"That's just the darkness settling into your skin," Rumple explained. Emma turned again but she couldn't see the scaly-skinned annoyance. "It'll only get worse before it gets better. That is, if you keep fighting it." 

"You're damned right I'm fighting it," Emma barked back. 

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Rumple answered, his voice coming from the opposite direction this time. Emma swung around by instinct. "You always have to be the Savior. Always have to play the hero." 

"I'm not a hero," Emma said. 

"And yet, if you'd just give in to the darkness, you'd save yourself a lot of pain," Rumple replied. Even as he said it, Emma felt hot iron crawling up her arms. 

"I don't care what happens to me," Emma said. "It's Henry I'm worried about. I can't go dark for his sake."

"And what about your True Love?" Rumple asked. Now Emma could just make out his silhouette, leaning casually against a tree only a few feet in front of her. 

"How do you know about that?" Emma asked, her voice quick in the dark. 

"You're the Dark One now. I know everything you know, dearie." 

"And who are you, exactly?" Emma let the aggression she felt seep into her tone and the fire in her hand grew brighter. 

"I'm the spirit of the Dark One," he explained, "trapped by the dagger and passed down to each new Dark One. Think of me as your mentor-- your teacher in the ways of the Dark One." 

"I don't want a teacher. I'm going to get rid of you the first chance I get."

"And give up all that power?" he asked. "Surely, you can feel it already racing through you. You can feel your new potential, your new ability. You could rule an entire realm with that power. But, trained, maybe you could do even more." 

"I don't care about power," Emma spat back. "I only care about protecting my family." 

"Says the woman who ran away from her family time and time again." 

Emma didn't answer. She knew he was right. 

A throbbing started in her head and the fire in her palm went out. 

"I'm going back to bed," Emma announced. 

"Good luck with that, dearie. Be sure to have sweet dreams."

The way he said the last two words made Emma think that she might have a very difficult night ahead of her. 


	5. Becoming the Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait - I've just finished my Original Novel and now I can play around with fanfiction again. I hope to get back into this story in earnest, so stay tuned for updates soon. :) 
> 
> Just a heads up: this story is going to get a bit more dark/gory from this point onward.

Everything Emma expected paled in comparison to the reality of becoming the Dark One.

The pain increased so much that Emma left the house again, racing out into the forest to howl into the quiet space. Screaming helped a bit, her throat sore and dry after she’d finished, but every limb still throbbed as searing heat raced through her veins, lighting up nerves and muscles she hadn’t been aware of before. Her thoughts grew less and less coherent, as they do when one is trapped in that particular space between waking and sleep. She grasped at them, trying to assemble everything together again, but it was no use. Full phrases and concepts slipped through her mind like black sand, coming and going faster than she could hope to assemble them.

She screamed again, because she didn’t know what else to do, and the effort tore at her vocal chords. She thought she heard something burst.

Through the hurricane of non-thoughts and pain, she vaguely recognized the calling of her name. It was loud but blurred, like someone shouting on an ultra-cheap megaphone.

“What?” Emma screamed back, her voice deeper and hoarser than she’d ever heard it. But all she got back was her name, distorted, and then the feeling of hands on her shoulders. The touch burned her skin and she pushed it away, crumpling into herself and turning away.

“Go away!” she demanded, her voice still loud as though she had to project over the pain roaring in her ears. “Go away and leave me alone.”

Her senses roared back into clarity when the forest lit up in flames around her.

“Emma, calm down!” Red yelled and Emma could actually recognize the voice. She couldn’t think about how the entire forest was suddenly on fire or what to do about Red. She only knew that she’d done this and she had no idea how.

She started running.

The fire raged around her, making it hard to breathe and even harder to think. The heat pressed in around her and her clothes started catching. She didn’t stop to put them out. The fire hurt her and the smoke clogged her lungs, but she felt more alive instead of less.

She ran for longer than she’d ever run before. She didn’t tire, but she grew bored of running. However, the forest still surrounded her, so she continued to run.

By the time she emerged from the other end of the forest, the sun had come up and almost all of her clothes had burned off. Her body, however, was unscathed.

She took inventory of her skin, pale and only bearing the injuries she’d sustained before taking on the spirit of the Dark One. Her thoughts started to clear a bit and the pain that had been wracking her body raw had subsided ever since the fire started. Emma frowned at this, trying to make sense of it.

She turned to watch the forest burn. Massive clouds of smoke rose as far as she could see, the forest ablaze and fierce.

“You did that, you know.”

Emma groaned and didn’t bother to look for the source of the voice.

“For the last time, leave me alone.” She didn’t have the patience for Dark One banter. 

“You destroyed an entire forest with a single act because you can’t fight the darkness, dearie. You _are_ the Dark One, whether you like it or not, and there’s no fighting it. The darkness will consume you.”

“I’ll find a way,” Emma said. Her voice sounded raspy, exhausted.

“Good luck with that. Even being the product of True Love can’t shield you from your fate now.”

Emma didn’t respond. She just started walking. Where she was going, she had no idea. All she knew was she had to get away from everyone before she hurt them. Or worse.

“Soon you won’t care about them,” the voice told her.

“All the more reason to get away,” Emma answered.

“Do as you like,” came the answer. “But remember that you have much faster modes of transportation now that you’re the Dark One. Might as well use them.”

“Thanks for the tip,” Emma grumbled. She kept walking, waiting for the voice to return, but it didn’t.

She walked and walked, her mind blank and her entire body tense. Occasionally she felt the darkness surge up in her, releasing as bolts of electricity around her. She steered clear of anything destroyable, but a few innocent trees and wild animals suffered from her leaking darkness.

When her thoughts did center on something, they centered on Regina. She wondered how Regina had tamed her own darkness. She wondered where the woman was now. She wondered if her True Love was trying to find her. She wondered if she wanted Regina to succeed.

Fear built up in Emma, slowly blurring her more coherent thoughts and bringing the darkness even closer. A great, dark power felt just within Emma’s grasp. All she had to do was reach a single finger a millimeter and she could access it. She fought the urge to give in, even though she knew deep down that the power would overcome her whether she did or not.

Night came and went and Emma walked on. She never tired and her feet never hurt. It seemed amazing and horrifying that she didn’t need sleep or rest of any kind. How could one amuse oneself with so much time? Or what could one accomplish with limitless time and energy? She was immortal now, wasn’t she? The thought overwhelmed her for hours.

At mid-morning, she came to a stream. She stared down at her reflection, finally seeing herself since becoming the Dark One.

She was dirty from her journey, covered in soot and dirt, and nearly naked after the fire had taken her clothing, but her hair was slicked and untouched by the fire. Her skin, as she’d noticed before, remained unmarked. She stared for a long while, at first shuddering at the feeling that she was looking at someone else but eventually accepting the fact that she was, in fact, looking at her own body.

When she tired of this, she magicked herself a plain, dark outfit and left the stream.

That afternoon, she stumbled upon another castle.

The solid, abandoned stone of the structure called to her. Wanting to take a break from walking, she started toward it. She wondered who had once owned it and imagined, for no reason at all, that it had been Regina’s. _The Evil Queen’s_ , she corrected herself.  

For the first time ever, the thought that Regina had been a merciless tyrant brought Emma comfort. She recalled some of the Queen’s worst atrocities, flipping through their details with a smile on her face. Her pace toward the castle increased.

Impatient, she teleported into the castle’s foyer. She looked up at the high ceiling and ornate decorations that had disintegrated with time. She took a few more steps into the castle, smiling at the cold walls.

“Now, this is a place I could get used to,” she said to no one.

Movement at her side pulled her attention and she turned towards it.

“Who’s there?” she asked, her voice bouncing hard off the walls. She waited, straining for a sound.

Then she heard the shuffle again and she moved a large table aside with magic. She stared at the table for a moment, shocked that she’d moved it so easily. But her attention was taken by the sight of a figure crouching in the darkness.

“Come out,” Emma demanded.

“Don’t harm me, witch,” a male voice replied shakily. Emma felt anger and disgust growing in her, clouding her brain. “I intend you no ill will.”

“Get out of my castle,” Emma said, pointing toward the front door.

“I was only—“

The men rose up off the ground, his hands grasping at his throat and his jaw open as far as it could go.

“You were only nothing,” Emma said. Anger surged again and the man gasped, just once. Emma recognized that she was the one yielding the power, but something was different. Pleasure mixed with rage, making her lightheaded with it all. She didn’t want to stop.

“This is mine,” she growled. “Now, out.”

The man flew, hitting the stone wall hard and falling limply to the ground. He didn’t move after that.

Emma watched him for a moment before walking to his side. With a casual hand she checked for a pulse. She found none.

She turned away from him, flicking her hand and turning his body to dust. Magic coursed through her, making her entire body hum with excitement. She felt lost and found all at once—as though something had finally clicked and all the horridness of her past could melt away. She felt…free.


	6. The Lingering Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't seen any of the new season yet. Whoopsies...

Regina really missed her Jimmy Choos. Traipsing through the forest reminded her of that. Sure, the heels would be completely inconvenient, but at least they’d be familiar. Regina remembered with full force how much she hated living in the Enchanted Forest.

She’d materialized in Emma’s nursery upon arrival, quickly discovering that Emma was nowhere in the castle. She knew she could call Emma to her with the dagger, since Emma was in the Enchanted Forest and would be forced to come to the dagger’s pull. She’d considered it for a moment, but eventually discarded the idea. Instead, she enchanted the dagger with a tracking spell she’d brought along and followed it through the forest.

Regina followed the dagger to a badly burned copse of trees. She stopped to survey the damage, shocked at the sheer force that had nearly obliterated entire acres of land. Fear and worry sprung up in her chest as she drew the inevitable conclusion that Emma had caused this, spurring her on faster through the decimated underbrush.

Something large and fast moved in her peripheral vision and Regina reacted quickly. With one hand, she grabbed the dagger out of the air and with the other she conjured a fireball, waiting for the thing to show itself.

“You don’t want to fight me,” she snarled. She waited a moment for the nearby thing to emerge from the forest, her magic burning and the dagger held at the ready.

Finally, a huge wolf emerged, transforming almost immediately into a familiar form.

“Oh, I know,” the girl said once she was human. “No one in their right mind would even _think_ of messing with you.” Regina put out her fireball immediately, crossing her arms in classic Mayor Mills fashion.

“Red, how nice to see you in these parts,” she drawled.

“Regina,” Red replied, her tone more worried and less cold than Regina’s. “Listen, we don’t have time for this. Are you here to bring Emma back to Storybrooke? If so, I think you should hurry.”

“How do you know about Emma?” Regina asked, her act dropping slightly at the mention of her True Love. “Have you seen her?”

“Yeah,” Red answered. “She spent the night at my place. Well, at least she _was_ at my place until she went all Dark One crazy on me and ran off. She destroyed all of this without batting an eyelash.” Red motioned to the burned forest around them, confirming Regina’s fears. The werewolf continued, “She wasn’t responding normally and she got away from me, so I have no idea where she is now. I can help you find her. Her scent has changed a bit, and there’s so much smoke in the air that it’s hard to pick up much, but I can help you track her once we clear the forest.”  

 “That won’t be necessary,” Regina answered, her tone stiff from worry more than anything. “I’m using a tracking spell.”

“Well, maybe you _will_ need some help when you find Emma,” Red insisted. “She’s the Dark One now and—“

“I’m aware,” Regina spat. “And I don’t need help.”

Red rolled her eyes and let out a puff of air. Regina glared at her, annoyed and offended by her flippant behavior.

“Well, _you_ certainly haven’t changed,” Red commented.

“And why should I have?” Regina’s voice raised in annoyance.

“I just figured you finding your True Love and all that would make a difference. I can see now that I expected too much.”

“Yes, you did,” Regina answered flatly, not bothering to acknowledge the wolf’s mention of Emma being her True Love. “I’ll be going now. Emma needs my help.”

“And I’m coming along whether you like it or not,” Red said.

“You are most certainly _not_ ,” Regina said, standing as still as a statue with an expression stony enough to match.

“I happen to care about Emma, too, you know,” Red answered, her tone finally exasperated by Regina’s stubbornness.

“Which is exactly why you shouldn’t come,” Regina replied. “If she attacks, your sentiment will get in the way and you won’t be able to defend yourself. I can’t babysit you _and_ take on Emma. I’d hate to see you turned into something even less pleasant than a wolf.”

“I don’t need you to protect me,” Red growled, shoulders rising with her anger.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Regina spat, all the haughtiness of the Queen in her voice. “You’re no match for Emma’s magic, even when she doesn’t have the power of the Dark One behind her.”

Red opened her mouth to answer, but she closed it again almost immediately. Regina crossed her arms in silent victory.

“Be off before I have to resort to threats,” Regina said evenly.

“Fine,” Red said between bared teeth, “but I’m only doing this because I know that you’re Emma’s best chance. And I care about her too much not to give her that.”

“You sound more like Snow all the time,” Regina commented.

“I consider that a compliment.”

“You would.”

The women stared at each other for a long moment, tension glistening in the air between them. Regina had no idea if the wolf would back down, but she sincerely hoped so. Red had always been stubborn and her time as Ruby had only strengthened that side of her. Regina silently cursed her penchant for hyperbole in the creation of her original Storybrooke.

Then, finally, Red turned and threw off her cloak. Regina didn’t watch as the wolf raced away into the charred woods. She just listened for a moment. Then, once she was sure Red had gone, she focused on floating the Dark One’s dagger again.  

Regina watched the curved metal, her gaze drawn to the letters that caught the sunlight and taunted her with their reality.

**Emma Swan**

Something raw and gnawing built up in her chest, setting her heart racing. It was fear and Regina knew it. And she hated herself for it.

Unable to wait any longer, Regina grabbed the dagger out of the air and set her jaw.  She held it out purposefully, a jagged edge in her voice as she spoke the incantation.

“Dark One, I summon you. Emma Swan, I summon you.”


	7. Challenging the Darkness

The Dark One appeared in a folding of grey and black smoke.

Regina’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of Emma in the long, heavy cloak. It felt as though an eternity had passed since she’d last seen Emma, even though it had only been a day or two.

“How dare you,” Emma growled. She stared at Regina and the glare, combined with the low voice and the slick, stringy hair, made Regina’s heart freeze. The only words that remained in her head were _I don’t know this woman._

“Emma,” the brunette whispered, hoping the name would somehow conjure the version of the blonde she did know. But it sounded more like a question or a sigh than a command. The name hovered in the tight air between them.

“You think you can summon me whenever you damn well please?” Emma looked down at the dagger for the briefest moment, rolling her shoulders back with a wince of pain. But then her gaze returned to Regina’s face and she spit out, “What gives you the right?”

Emma’s left hand twitched and curled into a noncommittal fist. “You think because you’re my True Love you can do whatever you want to me?”

Those beloved and dreaded two words, _True Love_ , bit more than Regina expected.

She opened her mouth to retort, but the clenching in her chest and the lump in the back of her throat kept her from following through. So she just held Emma’s gaze and tried to decide if she was relieved or even more worried than before.

“What are you doing here, anyway?” Emma asked. “How did you get here?”

Regina meant to answer her, but what came out instead was, “Are you in pain?”

Emma shrank back from the question, turning so that Regina couldn’t see her face in the large hood.

“Sometimes.”

The waver in Emma’s gravelly voice made Regina think that the summoning had only made things worse. If she’d only had the patience…

“Emma—” Regina started again, but Emma cut her off by turning back and stepping directly into Regina’s personal space.

Regina couldn’t ignore the parallels. _Here we are again: toe to toe, will to will…_

“Give me the dagger,” Emma whispered, the weight of her words ghosting across Regina’s lips.

“Why?” Regina asked, her stomach twisting at the turn of events. Her heart thundered in her ears.

“I need it.”

Regina glanced down at Emma’s lips for the barest moment, a weakness she regretted instantly, before she locked gazes with the blonde yet again. Regina couldn’t ignore how Emma pulsed with raw, unfiltered darkness. The well-known sensation lapped at her with its siren song, urging her closer.

Regina hesitated. Anxiety drove her heart faster and faster as she watched the biting desperation in Emma’s eyes. It affected her more than the fear and the uncertainty and the desire combined.

“I’m not giving it to you,” Regina said. She tried to keep her voice steely, but a softness managed to creep in. She worried that Emma had heard it, too.

Emma scoffed and stepped away, starting to pace. The brunette held her position, waiting and watching. The familiarity of Emma’s movements sparked a bit of hope in Regina’s chest.

“I’m here to help you,” Regina said after a long beat of silence.

Emma stopped on a dime, pinning Regina with a look of disgust as she accused, “You just _left_ Henry to come and ‘help’ me? There’s no one to protect him if you and I are both here.”

“I was hesitant to leave him with the two idiots,” Regina admitted. The mention of Henry gave her hope, but the moment was still so tenuous. “But I was the only one for this job. So the sooner we get back, the sooner we can remedy that.”

Emma let out something akin to a growl and stomped away. The brunette had no idea what to make of Emma in this state. The woman kept changing, flashing back and forth between the Dark One and The Savior faster than she could keep track. And anticipating the changes—that felt near impossible. She couldn’t help bemoaning the fact that she’d just gotten her Emma back just to lose her again to another mind- and personality-altering situation.

Regina decided she had to pull the last card.

“Why did you do it?” Regina asked softly, deliberately directing her words at Emma’s back. “It was supposed to be me.”

“It was never supposed to be you,” Emma said, her words equally quiet and her voice impossibly gruff. “Not the first time and not now. I couldn’t let the darkness take you again.”

The blonde turned, her expression so tender and knowing and downright _Emma_ that Regina had to hold back a gasp.

“Emma.” Regina dared to reach out a hand to touch the Dark One’s cloak. “I—“

A scream cut off her words. Emma crumbled to her knees, gritting her teeth hard to keep any further sound from escaping.

Regina rushed to Emma, crouching down beside her and tentatively placing her hand on the blonde’s shoulder.

“What’s happening?” Regina asked. “Emma, talk to me.” Emma shuddered and the rest of Regina’s words evaporated.

“Go away,” Emma croaked. Regina lifted her hand away, wondering if she’d heard correctly.

Emma stood suddenly and pushed Regina away from her before marching off in the opposite direction. Her entire attention seemed to be taken up with something besides Regina.

“Leave me alone!” Emma shouted at no one, a thin crack making her voice go sharp.

“Emma, who’s there?” Regina asked slowly.

“It’s Rumple.” Then, she shook her head as though that wasn’t the right answer. “Or the spirit of the Dark One or some shit. He’s been hanging around ever since I got here.”

Regina didn’t answer, so Emma added, “Red couldn’t see him either, so I guess he’s just in my head.”

“That’s frightening,” Regina deadpanned. “That imp is the last person I’d want traipsing around in my brain.”

Emma nodded and looked over at Regina with sad eyes. A twinge raced across Regina’s heart.

“You really should get back to Henry,” Emma said. “I’m in no place to be his mother now.”

Regina crossed her arms.

“I’m serious,” Emma insisted.

“And so am I,” Regina replied. “I came here to bring you back and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

“But—“

“No,” Regina cut her off. “We’re both going back to Storybrooke whether you come willingly or not.”

Emma opened her mouth to answer but a groan of pain came out instead. Regina let her arms fall to her sides and she softened her voice.

“You’re not alright.”

Emma turned away, her shoulders slumped.

“I’m not going back,” she repeated, but Regina heard the defeat in her voice.

She walked toward Emma, slowly and quietly, until she was close enough to gently take the blonde’s hand. The skin was cold and clammy to the touch, but Regina ignored it. Instead, she took a breath…two breaths… She waited for Emma to pull away, but she didn’t.

“Come,” Regina said. “Let’s find the quickest way out of this hell hole.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I finally saw the Season 5 finale. I love that there was SO MUCH SQ fodder. I actually do want to see where season 6 will take our lovely ladies. I'll catch up soon enough! In the meantime, I hope you're enjoying this story. Don't worry - it'll get darker before it gets lighter, despite how this chapter ended.


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